AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Platters

Artist:The Platters

Song:Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Album:All-Time Gteatest Hits

The Platters were the most successful R&B vocal group of the 50s. They bridged the gap between Tin Pan Alley and 50s pop music. They scored four #1 hit singles and the 1958 single The Great Pretender was their biggest hit and one of the most memorable records of the era. The Platters were formed in 1952 in Los Angeles by Federal Records A&R man Ralph Bass. The original group members were Alex Hodge, his brother Gaynel Hodge, Curtis Williams, Joe Jefferson and Cornell Gunter. Gunter and Jefferson were soon replaced by Tony Williams and Herb Reed. Reed had just been discharged from the US Army. Williams was lead singer. Reed was a member of The Platters for their entire run. Reed was at the Hodge household trying to come up with a group name when Mrs. Hodge came in with a plate of cookies. There were some 78rpm records on the table and she said "They look just like platters" and Reed chose that name. After a couple of unsuccessful singles on Federal, Bass asked his songwriter friend Buck Ram for help. He brought in female singer Zola Taylor and Paul Robi replaced Alex Hodge. Then Ram got them a record deal with Mercury. He also managed The Penguins who scored a top ten hit with the single Earth Angel. Mercury wanted them and Ram agreed to it if Mercury also took The Platters. The Penguins never had another hit. Only You was a Ram song that was already unsuccessfully recorded. Williams convinced Ram to record a new version and it was a top ten hit in 1955. This was followed by The Platters' first #1 hit The Great Pretender. And The Platters appeared in the film Rock Around the Clock. Their next #1 single was My Prayer in 1958. My Prayer was interesting because Ram didn't write it. It was a French song with English lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy. And that led to The Platters' recording of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for the 1933 Broadway musical Roberta. Maybe you have seen the 1935 film Roberta when Irene Dunne sang it. But The Platters' 1958 single Smoke Gets in Your Eyes not only topped the charts but it was their biggest hit and signature song. It was also their final #1 hit. You can get all their hits on this comp. Beware of knockoff versions. These are the original recordings. This version of The Platters lasted until 1960. Then Mercury dropped them in 1962. A version of The Platters continued to tour and occasionally record. But they never had the same success that they had in the 50s. Here's The Platters performing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes on the Mar. 1, 1958 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Children Of The Day

Artist:Children of the Day

Song:For Those Tears I Died

Album:Come to the Waters

Today, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is very popular. But in the early 70s it was called Jesus music and the church establishment were reluctant to accept it for most of the 70s. Children of the Day may have been the first Jesus music group as the album Come to the Waters was released in 1971. The leader of Children of the Day was Marsha Stevens. She is sometimes called the mother of CCM. She was born Marsha Carter Aug. 20, 1952 in Pomona, CA. Marsha became a Christian in 1969. After writing the song For Those Tears I Died, the school's choir director suggested she publish the song. The song became popular in churches and Marsha decided that she wanted to be a performer. She brought in her sister Wendy Carter, her friend Peter Jacobs and Russ Stevens. And once they all became Christians, Children of the Day was formed. They were like a 60s folk group. Marsha sang lead and the others sang harmony. Wendy played guitar, Jacobs played piano and Stevens played bass. When they wanted to record, they borrowed $900 from Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith. The 1971 album Come to the Waters was released by Maranatha Music. They usually produced choir and instrumental music. For Those Tears I Died is probably their best known song. The album is available on CD. They switched to Light Records for the 1975 album Where Else Would I Go. Children of the Day released five albums. By the time the 1979 album Butterfly was released, Jacobs left the group and they disbanded. Meanwhile, Marsha and Russ Stevens divorced and Marsha announced that she was a lesbian. This was CCM's first scandal. After that, Marsha started BALM (Born Again Lesbian Music). She still performs at gay churches. Jacobs created the Praise Symphony Orchestra and recorded for Maranatha. He has mainly been a producer for years. Here's Children of the Day performing For Those Tears I Died on a 1971 TV show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melissa Errico

Artist:Melissa Errico

Song: Uptown, Downtown

Album:Sondheim in the City

Melissa Errico is a Tony nominated Broadway performer who has recorded as a solo artist since 2003. She frequently performs in New York City clubs. She was born Mar. 23, 1970 in New York City. Her father was an orthopedic surgeon and her mother was a teacher. She met her husband former tennis pro Patrick McEnroe in grade school. They married in 1998 and have three daughters. Melissa was 12 years old when she appeared in the kids TV series The Great Space Coaster. She went to high school in Manhasset on Long Island and then at Yale. While at Yale, she got a role in a touring production of Les Miserables. She played Eliza Doolittle in a 1993 revival of My Fair Lady. She was Tony nominated for her performance in the 2003 musical Amour written by Michel Legrand. Meanwhile, Melissa signed a record deal with EMI's Manhattan label and her 2003 debut album Blue Like That was produced by Arif Mardin. She has appeared in several Broadway musical revivals. But in recent years, she has been more active as a recording artist and club performer. She recorded several albums for the Broadway specialty label Ghostlight. Uptown, Downtown is from her 2024 album Sondheim in the City. This is her first album for Concord Theatricals. It is a tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Uptown, Downtown is from Follies. Of course Concord started out as a jazz label in the 70s. Since they were sold in 2002, they have become a corporate monolith swallowing companies. They have recently merged with BMG. Concord bought Rodgers & Hammerstein in 2022 and started Concord Theatricals to release Broadway recordings. Sondheim in the City was produced by veteran producer Rob Mathes. Among the musicians on this album is veteran jazz drummer Lewis Nash. She recently released the album I Can Dream, Can't I? on her own label accompanied by pianist Todd Firth. She is playing New York clubs. Melissa has done films and TV but these days she is more active as a singer. Here's Melissa Erico performing Uptown, Downtown at the New York club 54 Below. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Touche Amore

Artist:Touche Amore

Song:Skyscraper

Album:Stage Four

Touche Amore is a post hardcore band that was formed in Los Angeles in 2007. What is post hardcore? Well, hardcore was an offshoot of punk. When hardcore faded in the 00s, bands like Touche Amore sprung up to replace them. They still had elements of hardcore but with a softer sound. Lead singer Jeremy Bolm was a post hardcore fan before he started the band. He had started a fansite for the post hardcore band Thursday. Then he decided to form a post hardcore band. They released a demo. By the time Touche Amore released the 2009 album To the Beat of a Dead Horse, the band was Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt on guitar, Tyler Kirby on bass and Elliot Babin on drums. The album got positive reviews from Alternative Press and others. And that was enough to get Touche Amore a record deal with the indie label Deathwish. The two albums on Deathwish did well enough to get them a record deal with Epitaph Records owned by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. So now they are on the largest post hardcore label. Bolm dedicated the 2016 album Stage Four to his late mother's battle with cancer. The songs are credited to the band though Bolm writes them all. They share the royalties. Brad Wood was credited as producer. He's a recording engineer so I think the band self produces. That's not unusual for this kind of music. This is probably the album you should get if you are interested in this kind of music. It's available as a digital download. Touche Amore released two albums on Epitaph. They signed with Rise Records for the 2024 album Spiral in a Straight Line. Bands like Touche Amore are constantly on tour. Currently they are on a European tour. They may be due for a new album after that. Here's the video for Skysraper by Touche Amore. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Wonders

Artist:The Wonders

Song:That Thing You Do

Album:That Thing You Do!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The Wonders were a fictional band created by Tom Hanks for the 1996 film That Thing You Do!. It told the story of a 60s one hit wonder. He hired actors to play the band members. Real musicians wrote and performed the music. The film was not a commercial success but it has become a cult film. And the title song charted on the Billboard Hot 100. As I said, Hanks wrote and directed the film and produced with Playtone partner Gary Goetzman. He also appears in the film as the band's manager. The members of The Wonders were played by Jonathan Schaech (lead singer), Steve Zahn (lead guitarist), Ethan Embry (bassist) and Tom Everett Scott (drums). Liv Tyler makes their costumes. So the four actors playing the band were not stars. And they also aren't musicians. So they were taught to mime the music. Canadian Howard Shore was hired to compose the score. He is best known for The Lord of the Rings scores. The two main guys brought in to write and produce the songs were Rick Elias and Adam Schlesinger. Elias was a member of CCM singer Rich Mullins' band. He also wrote songs for the TV series Dawsons Creek. He died in 2019. Schlesinger was the leader of the popular band Fountains of Wayne. He had become a prolific songwriter for films and TV when he died from COVID in 2020. Schlesinger wrote the song That Thing You Do! and it reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack album was certified Platinum and is available on CD. So who actually performed the music? It was mostly guys who are pals with Schlesinger and Elias. The lead singer on That Thing You! was Mike Viola of the band Dawes. Schlesinger did the backup vocals. We can assume that the music was performed by friends of Schlesinger. The musician names have never been revealed. Though That Thing You Do! was favorably reviewed, it was not a theatrical success and it became a cult movie through home video and cable. I doubt the film is made without Hanks. Here's the video for That Thing You Do! by The Wonders.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jan Hammer

Artist:Jan Hammer

Song:Miami Vice Theme

Album:Escape from Television

I became familiar with keyboardist Jan Hammer when he was a member of John McLaughlin's fusion band The Mahavishnu Orchestra. When that band ended, Hammer got into film and TV music and he topped the charts with the 1985 single Theme from Miami Vice. That show was really hot at the time. Hammer was born Apr. 17, 1948 in Prague, Czech Republic. His mother was a singer and his father was a doctor who played vibraphone in clubs when he was in school. Hammer started playing piano at age four. He was considering following his dad into medicine. But a family friend convinced him to develop his musical talent. He led a jazz trio while in high school and they toured eastern Europe. He studied at the Prague Academy of Musical Arts. Hammer's influences include Bill Evans, Paul Bley and Larry Young. After the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, Hammer received a scholarship from Berklee School of Music in Boston and he moved to the US. After graduating, Hammer toured with singer Sarah Vaughan. Then he joined John McLaughlin's jazz fusion band The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Hammer was recommended to McLaughlin by Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous of the fusion band Weather Report. Hammer was an early adopter of the Moog Synthesizer, especially the Minimoog. Drummer Billy Cobham was also a member of The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Hammer played on Cobham's 1973 debut album Spectrum. He also played on albums by guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette. And he recorded his 1975 debut album The First Seven Days for Columbia's Nemperor label. He appeared on guitarist Jeff Back's 1976 album Wired and then toured with him. And he led his own touring band. He continued to record and tour with Beck until in 1984, the producers of the TV series Miami Vice hired Hammer to compose the music for the show. Of course Miami Vice was a big hit and MCA Records released a soundtrack album. Not only did the album top the charts but so did the single Miami Vice Theme. Hammer won two Grammy awards and he was nominated for two Emmys. This comp CD is available as a budget CD. Hammer left Miami Vice and returned to touring and recording with drummer Tony Williams in 1990. Hammer has also continued to score films and TV shows including Tales from the Crypt. He also continued to record with Jeff Beck. Hammer still records on his own label, most recently in 2022. He seems to be semi retired at the moment. But it wouldn't surprise me if Jeff Beck convinced him to tour again. Here's the video for Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day_Hugo

Artist:Hugo

Song:99 Problems

Album:No Strings Attached: Music From The Motion Picture

Hugo is a singer songwriter who forged an unlikely alliance with Jay-Z after his song Disappear appeared on Beyonce's 2008 album I Am...Sasha Fierce. This led to a record deal with Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation. And this cover of the Jay-Z song 99 Problems appeared in the 2010 film No Strings Attached. Jay-Z describes Hugo's music as "gangsta rock". In the video, Hugo presents himself as a one man band. Plus it's not every day you hear a banjo in a pop record. He was born Hugo Chua Alexander Levy Aug. 6, 1981 in London, England. His mother is writer and environmental activist M.R. Narisa Chakrabongse. She is Thai royalty so Hugo grew up in Thailand. Hugo appeared in Thai soap operas as a child. As a teen, he recorded four albums with the band Siplor. After some success, Hugo went solo and moved to London. That's when Beyonce recorded Disappear and Hugo signed with Roc Nation. His cover of the Jay-Z song 99 Problems appeared on his 2011 debut album Old Tyme Religion. It also played over the end credits of the 2011 film No Strings Attached. That film was produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. The stars were Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Hugo's album is available as a digital download. But the No Strings Attached soundtrack is available on CD. Plus I think most folks will only be interested in Hugo's version of 99 Problems. The film was a big hit. Hugo wrote all the songs on his album with various co-writers. Dave McCracken was one of those writers and he produced the album. Noam Pikelny of Punch Brothers played the banjo. And no, the song is not bluegrass. But I like the use of the banjo. Hugo last released an album last year. Here's the video for 99 Problems by Hugo.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Marble Index

Artist:The Marble Index

Song:We Can Make It

Album:The Marble Index

The Marble Index was a Canadian band that could have been successful if they had remained together longer. They only released two albums and a third album was shelved. Fans of indie rock should enjoy them. The Marble Index were formed in Hamilton, ON. in 2001. Brad Germain was lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter. Adam Knickle was the drummer. They were unhappy with some of the bands they had been in. So they decided to start their own band. After holding auditions for a bassist, they decided to bring in their guitarist friend Ryan Tweedle to play bass. The Marble Index was a 1968 album by the German singer Nico. After recording an EP, Dan Brooks agreed to manage them. He's a Hamilton native but he lives in England. He brought them to England to record their 2004 debut album The Marble Index. They self released it. But it did well enough that it was picked up by Universal Canada. The album was written and produced by the band and recording engineer John Kettle. They opened for The Pixies on their Canadian tour. This album is available as a budget CD. The Marble Index were nominated for a New Group of the Year Juno. Their 2006 album Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives was produced by Scott Shields. They recorded songs for an album called Destroy the Earth While There's Still Time. The album was shelved and The Marble Index decided to go on hiatus. There is talk that the shelved album could finally be released. They reunited in 2018. Brad Germain has recorded as Dinner Belles and Spirits. He currently leads the band Golden Feather and they released an album last year. Here's the video for We Can Make It by The Marble Index. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Disturbed

Artist:Disturbed

Song:Sound of Silence

Album:Immortalized: Deluxe Edition

The hard rock band Disturbed is an album and touring band. At this point, they don't need hit singles as their albums sell very well. This 2016 cover of Simon & Garfunkel's classic The Sound of Silence is probably their biggest hit. They are from Chicago. The band was called Brawl when they first formed in 1994. Members were Erich Ewalt on lead vocals, Dan Donegan on guitar, Steve "Fuzz" Kmak on bass and Mike Wengren on drums. Ewalt soon left and after advertising in a local paper, he was replaced by David Draiman. The big difference was Draiman writes original songs. He suggested the band name Disturbed. The name projects a dark image and the band's music reflects that. They recorded demos which had their mascot The Guy on the cover. He's on all their album covers. They signed with Giant Records with Warner Bros. Distribution and their 2000 debut album The Sickness has sold four million copies without the benefit of a hit single. They opened for Marilyn Manson in Europe. Kmak broke his ankle so he was replaced by Marty O'Brien. After Giant closed, Disturbed was on Warner's Reprise label. Kmak returned to Disturbed but was fired in 2003 because of "personality differences" and was replaced by John Moyer of the band The Union Underground. All of their albums were certified Platinum until the 2010 album Asylum was certified Gold. After touring, they decided to go on hiatus. They weren't getting along. During the hiatus, Donegan and Wengren recorded a 2013 album as Fight Or Flight. Draiman recorded a 2013 album as Device. Moyer was in several bands. Once they got that out of their system, Disturbed returned from hiatus in 2015 and released the album Immortalized. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. The album was produced by Kevin Churko who has produced a lot of metal bands. All the songs were written by the band except for the cover of Sound of Silence which reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. When asked about Disturbed's cover of The Sound of Silence, Paul Simon said he saw them perform it on Conan. He liked it and said so in an email he sent to Draiman. The Deluxe Edition contains three bonus tracks and is available on CD. Album sales haven't been as strong since then. I think the pandemic hurt disturbed because they couldn't tour like they usually do. Disturbed's 2025 tour was to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their debut album The Sickness. They announced that they would take 2026 off. It remains to be seen what Disturbed will do. But I expect them to return in some form. Draiman and Wengren have been together for 25 years. I don't think they will give up the band name. They might hire new guys for the band. Here's the video for The Sound of Silence by Disturbed. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Horace Silver

Artist:Horace Silver

Song:Nutville

Album:The Best of Horace Silver Vol. II

This is part of my Jazz for Beginners series and the second part of my look at Horace Silver. In the early 60s, it was becoming difficult for Silver to keep a regular band together. After a 1964 trip to Brazil, Silver became interested in exploring his father's Cape Verdean heritage. The result was Silver's most popular album Song for My Father in 1965. This album charted in pop and R&B. So his music was more accessible to non jazz fans. That's a photo of Silver's father on the album cover. Musicians were Carmell Jones on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor sax, Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums. Nutville is from the 1966 follow up album The Cape Verdean Blues. The band is completely different from Song for My Father. Trombonist J.J. Johnson was brought in as special guest. The rest of the band was Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor sax, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Roger Humphries on drums. His 1968 album The Jody Grind had even more personnel changes. By the 1968 album Serenade to Soul Sister, there were even more changes. This was typical of jazz in the 60s. You can get Nutville on this budget comp of Silver's 60s recordings. Keeping a band together was becoming a chore. So Silver broke up his band in 1970 to stay close to home. He got married in 1970 and had a son. He formed a new band in 1973. I will look at his later albums at another time. Here's Horace Silver with Bill Hardman on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on sax, John Williams on bass and Billy Cobham on drums performing Nutville at the !968 Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jaya

Artist:Jaya

Song:If You Leave Me Now

Album:Freestyle Explosion Volume 4

The Filipino singer Jaya scored her only US chart hit with the 1989 single If You Leave Me Now. She's a big star in The Philippines not only as a singer but on TV. She was born Maria Luisa Ramsey Kagahastian Mar. 21, 1970 in Manila, Philippines. Her father was a musician and her mother was a comedian and singer. Her parents separated and her father moved to the US. Jaya started performing at age 12 as a backup singer and dancer. She also performed solo as Louise Ramsey. In 1985, she moved to the US with her mom and performed with other Filipinos like Tillie Moreno and Eddie Mercado. She attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles which had a large Filipino student population. After graduating from high school, Jaya ran away from home and moved to New York City. She took a job as a backup vocalist for Freestyle singer, songwriter and producer Stevie B. He topped the charts with the 1990 single Because I Love You. But he is also a songwriter and producer and owns the label LMR. He gave her the name Jaya. Her debut album Jaya was released in 1989. The single If You Leave Me Now reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was written and produced by Stevie B. and Glenn Gutierrez. This turned out to be Jaya's only chart single in the US. You can get it on this Thump Records various artists comp. In 1995, Jaya opened for Asia's Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales. Pilita asked Jaya if she wanted to return to Manila and record an album. Jaya signed with Viva Records and has been very successful ever since. She appears a lot on TV and she records for a label owned by one of the TV networks. I'm sure If You Leave Me Now seems to have happened in another lifetime. But Jaya has been more successful than most Freestyle artists. Here's the video for If You Leave Me Now by Jaya.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dr. Lonnie Smith

Artist:Dr.Lonnie Smith

Song:People Make the World Go Round

Album:Rise Up!

Back in the 60s, there were two jazz organists named Lonnie Smith. One went by the name Lonnie Liston Smith and the other one changed his name to Dr. Lonnie Smith and started wearing a turban. He toured with this look until his 2021 death. Dr. Lonnie Smith was born July 3, 1942 in the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna, NY. He was raised by his mother and stepfather. They had a vocal group and radio show. Smith said his mom was a major musical influence. Smith was in the 50s group The Teen Kings which included Grover Washington Jr. on sax. A local music store owner gave Smith his first Hammond B3 organ. Smith moved to New York City in 1965 and was part of George Benson's first band. They recorded two albums for Columbia. Then Smith recorded his debut album Finger Lookin' Good Soul Organ for Columbia. After Benson moved to A&M, the band split up and Lou Donaldson sent Smith to Blue Note. Smith recorded four albums followed by an album for CTI's Kudu label. He took a break at that point and that's when he changed his name to Dr. Lonnie Smith and began wearing a turban. At the the time, Lonnie Liston Smith was in Gato Barbieri's band. He didn't record as a leader until 1973. But jazz fans still confused the two. Obviously Smith was not a doctor. He told Downbeat that he was a doctor of music. He started wearing the turban as a nod to Sun Ra. But the changes were to distinguish himself from Lonnie Liston Smith. Smith signed with Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant label. After that, Smith recorded for all kinds of labels. He was always touring though. His cover of The Stylistics classic People Make the World Go Round is from the 2009 album Rise Up! on Palmetto Records. Smith recorded four albums for Palmetto. Palmetto owner Matt Balitsaris produced the album and also played guitar. Other musicians were Donald Harrison on alto sax, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Herlin Riley on drums and James Shipp on percussion. As you will see in the video, Smith doesn't have a bassist in his band. This album is available as a digital download. Smith returned to Blue Note for the 2016 album Evolution. He continued to tour and record until he died on Sept. 28, 2021 at age 79. Here's Dr. Lonnie Smith with Greg Skaff on guitar and Herlin Riley on drums performing People Make the World Go Round at the Bridgestone Music Festival at Citibank Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil June 20, 2008. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Larry Harlow

Artist:Larry Harlow f/Ismael Miranda

Song:Arsenio

Album:Greatest Hits

When I tell people that Larry Harlow was musical director of the legendary Salsa record label Fania Records, their response is "He's a Jew?". In fact, he was known in the Salsa community as The Marvelous Jew. So he produced a lot of Fania albums and led his own band Orchestra Harlow. And he led The Fania Allstars. So he was a very important guy at Fania. He was born Lawrence Ira Kahn Mar. 20, 1939 in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, NY. His father Nathan Kahn was a bassist and bandleader known as Buddy Harlowe. His mother was an opera singer. Harlow began piano lessons at age five. And he hung out at the New York club The Latin Quarter where his dad led the house band. At first, Harlow wanted to be a jazz musician. He attended The Music and Art High School. He heard the music of Perez Prado and Tito Puente on his way to school. After graduating from high school, he went to Havana to study Afro Cuban music. When he returned home during the Cuban Revolution, he started his own Latin band and played piano for Johnny Pacheco at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. His own band was The Larry Harlow Orchestra. When Fania Records started up, label owners Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci signed Harlow. Harlow's key album was the 1968 album Orchestra Harlow Presenta A Ismael Miranda. It got a lot of radio play on Latin radio stations. Miranda worked with Harlow a lot. One of Harlow's biggest influences was Cuban bandleader Arsenio Rodriguez. After Rodriguez died in 1970, Harlow released the 1972 album Tribute to Arsenio Rodriguez featuring Ismael Miranda. Though most of the album is Arsenio Rodriguez covers, Arsenio was written by Harlow and Miranda. Musicians on the album were Larry Spencer and Ralph Castrello on trumpet, Leopoldo Pineda and Sam Burtis on trombone, Lydio Fuentes on bass, Frankie Rodriguez on congas and Phil Newsum on timbales. Harlow played piano. This comp is available as a digital download. It was soon after this that Harlow convinced Fania owners Masucci and Pacheco to promote Leon Gast's 1972 documentary Our Latin Thing. And many discovered Fania through that film. Harlow remained with Fania until they ran out of money in the 80s. In the 90s, Harlow formed The Latin Legends Band with percussionist Ray Barretto. And he led that band until his death on Aug. 20, 2021 at age 82. Here's Larry Harlow featuring Ismael Miranda performing Arsenio 2007.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sharon Shannon

Artist:Sharon Shannon

Song:Cavan Potholes

Album:The Sharon Shannon Collection 1990-2005

Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician best known for playing the button accordion. She also plays fiddle, tin whistle and melodeon. But the button accordion is her main calling card. She is very popular in Ireland but unknown elsewhere. She was born June 8, 1968 in Ruan, Country Clare, Ireland. She was eight years old when she joined the local band Disirt Tola and toured the US with them as a teen. Shannon was also a competitive show jumper. But she gave that up to concentrate on her music. Sharon studied the accordion with Karen Tweed, the fiddle with Frank Custy. And she was a member of the band Arcady. In 1989, she joined the band The Waterboys led by Steve Wickham and Mike Scott. At the time, they were a folk influenced rock band. Sharon left the band when Wickham left in 1991. That's when she recorded her debut album Sharon Shannon on Solid Records. The album was produced by John Dunford who also produced The Waterboys. The album was a big seller in Ireland and she's been going strong ever since. Cavan Potholes is from the 1996 various artists album Common Ground: Voices of Modern Irish Music. Sharon has recorded it on a couple of her live albums but never on a studio album. So this 2CD comp is the best place to get it. Donnal Lunny of Planxty wrote the song and also produced this album. And he plays bouzouki and guitar on this recording. Other musicians include David Hayes on keyboards, Richie Buckley on tenor sax and Nollaig Ni Cathasaigh on fiddle. Sharon records for her own label. Compass distributes her recordings in the US. She last released an album in 2020. And she plays live shows in England. Here's Sharon Shannon performing Cavan Potholes from the 2007 CD/DVD Live at Dolan's. James Delaney plays the piano solo and Richie Buckley plays the Tenor sax solo. The entire concert can be streamed on YouTube.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Em Beihold

Artist:Em Beihold

Song:Numb Little Bug

EP:Egg in the Backseat

After becoming a viral sensation on TikTok, singer songwriter Em Beihold signed with a major label and scored a top 20 with the 2022 single Numb Little Bug. She recently released her debut album and it appears that Em has already been forgotten. I have seen a lot of this sort of thing lately. Of course fame is fleeting. But TikTok fame is even shorter. Record labels are learning that the hard way. Emily Beihold was born Jan. 21, 1999 in Los Angeles. Her mother is an Iranian born filmmaker. Em was six when she saw a piano in a shop window and she begged her parents to let her learn the piano. She began writing songs at age seven. Em attended the University of California, San Diego and was an NCAA All American in Fencing. Meanwhile, she self released a couple of EPs and singles and the 2021 song Groundhog Day became popular on TikTok. Em signed with Universal's Republic label and they released the 2022 single Numb Little Bug. It reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Em wrote and produced the song with veteran producer Dru DeCaro. Republic released it on the EP Egg in the Backseat which is available as a digital download. After that, Republic released a bunch of single. They finally released Em's debut album Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter in 2026. None of Em's recent singles have charted. It looks like she has stalled. The problem is Republic's release strategy. They could have released an album containing Numb Little Bug two years ago. Instead they chose to release singles. This seems to be a strategy for artists who have had viral success. I guess Republic is hedging their bets. But I have seen this strategy before and it doesn't work. It makes Em look like a failure before she even gets started. Here's the video for Numb Little Bug by Em Beihold. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mary Black

Artist:Mary Black

Song:Mo Ghile Mear

Album:Collected

Singer Mary Black is very popular in her native Ireland. This 1984 recording of the traditional song Mo Ghile Mear is one of her most popular songs. She was born May 23, 1955 in Dublin, Ireland to a musical family. Her father was a fiddler and her mother was a singer. Her siblings are all musicians and they record sometimes as The Black Family. Mary began singing at age eight and as a teen, she performed with her siblings. She joined the folk band General Humbert in 1975. They recorded two albums and she left the band in 1982. She started her own label Dara Records with her husband and released the 1982 album Mary Black produced by Declan Sinnott of the band Horslips. This is where it gets confusing. The traditional Irish song Mo Ghile Mear was on the 1984 album Collected. The song is one of Mary's better known recordings. It was first released on the 1982 album General Humbert II. Dara added that and two other tracks to Collected. The rest of the album was produced by Sinnott. Then they rereleased Collected on CD in 1991. There are a couple of different songs but it's mostly the same album and that's the version that is available as a budget CD on Amazon. At the same time, Mary was in the band De Dannan. Her 1989 album No Frontiers was also very successful. She toured in the US to promote it. Mary switched to the British label Grapevine in the 90s. Those albums were distributed by Gifthorse in the US. Mary last released new music in 2005. She has been concentrating on releasing her back catalog in deluxe editions. But she still plays live shows in Ireland. It seems like she is winding down her career. Here's the video for Mo Ghile Mear by Mary Black.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spiral Beach

Artist:Spiral Beach

Song:Kind of Beast

Album:Ball

Spiral Beach was a Canadian indie band that had modest success for a couple of years and then split up. They grew up in Toronto at Ward's Island which is on the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario. Most of us need a ferry to get there. They were formed in 2003 by brothers Daniel (guitar) and Airick (drums) Woodhead. They started writing songs together and decided to form a band with keyboardist Maddie Wilde and bassist Dorian Wolf. Daniel and Maddie sang. They all grew up in the same neighborhood. When they started out, they had a residency at Toronto's Drake Hotel. They released a 2005 EP and that got them a record deal with the indie label Sparks Music. The best known band on that label is Spoons. Spiral Beach toured and opened for The Hidden Cameras, Tokyo Police Club and Sloan. The 2007 album Ball was their debut album. It was produced by Mike Olsen of The Hidden Cameras. The songs are credited to the band so they all get royalties. Daniel Woodhead writes the lyrics. They played all over Toronto including a series of shows on Ward's Island. They toured Canada to support the album and appeared at SXSW in Austin, TX. This album is available on CD. They also played shows in England. After they started recording their next album, they went on a North American tour. After the 2009 album The Only Real Thing was released, they went on a European tour and an appearance on MTV Live. Then Spiral Beach split up. Though they never gave a reason for the split, Daniel Woodhead and Maddie Wilde went on to form Moon King and they have released three albums, most recently in 2021. Airick Woodhead currently records as Doldrums. Dorian Wolf was in the band Austra but is no longer in that band. Here's the video for Kind of Beast by Spiral Beach. If you are wondering about the the amateurish look of the video, I believe this was done that way deliberately. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Angelo Debarre

Artist:Angelo Debarre

Song:La Gitane

Album:Portrait of Angelo Debarre

Fans of legendary French guitarist Django Reinhardt will probably enjoy the music of French guitarist Angelo Debarre. Gypsy jazz has a very loyal following. Debarre was born Aug. 19, 1962 in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, France. He started playing guitar at age eight. He learned about Reinhardt and the traditions of gypsy jazz from other guitarists. Debarre started his own group in 1984 and was hired by guitarist Serge Camps to play at his Paris cafe La Roue Fleurie. While there, he was discovered by Norwegian jazz guitarist Jon Larsen and Larsen signed him to his Hot Club label. Debarre released his debut album Gypsy Guitars in 1989. The other musicians are Serge Camps on guitar and Frank Anastasio on bass. The music is Gypsy Jazz as you would expect. But La Gitane was written by French guitarist Paul "Tchan Tchou" Vidal. Larsen produced the album. This album is not available. But La Gitane is on this 2002 comp which is available as a digital download. These three musicians recently reunited for the 2025 album Gypsy Guitars 2. Debarre was recording for the French label Le Chant du Monde. But that label was sold in 2016. It doesn't look like Debarre has a record deal right now. Gypsy Jazz 2 is his latest album on Label Ouest owned by the French label Bayard. He isn't on tour right now but he could turn up on summer music festivals in Europe. Fans of Gypsy Jazz will enjoy his music. Here's Angelo Debarre performing La Gitane.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Broadcast

Artist:Broadcast

Song:The Book Lovers

Album:Maida Vale Sessions

The British duo Broadcast had success mostly at home. Their music is electronica. There is interest in them in North America because the song The Book Lovers appeared in the 1997 film Austin Powers. Listeners may have thought the song was written for the film but it originally appeared on a 1996 EP. Broadcast was formed in 1995 by singer songwriter Trish Keenan and keyboardist James Cargill. They met in the Birmingham nightclub Sensateria. Trish was studying creative writing at Birmingham University. At first, they formed a full band called Pan Am Flight Bag in 1995. After a few shows, they got rid of the band and called themselves Broadcast. They released an EP in 1996 called The Book Lovers. They signed with the indie label Warp Records. That's when The Book Lovers appeared in the 1997 film Austin Powers and Broadcast played some shows in the US. Warp released the comp Work and Non Work in 1997. That album is not available. But Maida Vale Sessions is available on CD. It is a collection of appearances on John Peel BBC Sessions. You can also get The Book Lovers on the Austin Powers soundtrack. Broadcast released four albums. They had modest chart success in England. But their music is not commercial. Sadly, Trish Keenan died from pneumonia Jan. 14, 2011 at age 42. Since then, Cargill has been the caretaker of Broadcast's discography. He formed the band Children of Alice and they released a 2017 album as a tribute to Trish Keenan. Here's Broadcast performing The Book Lovers on MTV 1997. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Anthony Smith

Artist:Anthony Smith

Song:If That Ain't Country

Album:If That Ain't Country

Anthony Smith already had success as a songwriter when his 2002 single If That Ain't Country was a top 30 country hit. It was the title track of his 2002 album If That Ain't Country. It turned out to be his only major label album. He continues to have success as a songwriter and he now records for his own label. Apparently, he was born in Warsaw, IN in 1964 and grew up in Oneida, TN. He formed his first band at age nine and arranged music at his church. Then he moved to Nashville. While trying to get his own record deal, he wrote hit songs for George Strait, Tim McGraw and others. His demos got him offers from several labels. But he signed with Mercury Nashville. The album was called If This Ain't Country and the title song reached #26 on the Billboard Country chart. The album was produced by Bobby Terry who also produced Smith's demos and still works with him. Smith wrote all the songs. His co-writer on If This Ain't Country was Jeffrey Steele. This album is available on CD. In 2005, Mercury wanted Smith to record another album. But his father and brother had died. So Smith asked to get out of his contract and he went on hiatus. He still records for his own label Krankit. He also produces artists sometimes. He still writes hits for others like Montgomery Gentry and Chris Young. And he still plays shows mostly in the Nashville area. Here's the video for If That Ain't Country by Anthony Smith. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keller Williams

Artist:Keller Williams 

Song:West L.A. Fadeaway

Song:More Than a Little Funk

Keller Williams can best be described as a one man jam band. He leads his own band and frequently makes guest appearances with bands like The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey's McGee. All are Grateful Dead influenced jam bands. These jam bands are OK. But there are too many of them and they are too similar to each other. And they all record for the same record label. Well, at least they have fun. Williams was born Feb. 4, 1970 in Fredericksburg, VA. He started playing guitar in his early teens and earned a degree in theater at Virginia Wesleyan College. He moved to Boulder, CO and met the guys behind the jam band The String Cheese Incident. He started touring with them and he records for their record label SCI Fidelity. He has also toured with Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee and the late Bob Weir's band Ratdog. What all these bands have in common is the Grateful Dead influence and they all play the big summer music festivals. Williams has recorded solo since 1994. He has recorded bluegrass as Grateful Grass and Keller & the Keels with the husband and wife duo of Larry and Jenny Keel. This version of the Grateful Dead song West L.A. Fadeaway is from the 2013 album More Than a Little Funk. This was recorded live in Norfolk and Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC. The album is mostly Williams originals. Williams sings and plays guitar. Other musicians are Gerard Johnson on keyboards, E.J. Shaw on bass and Toby Fairchild on drums. This album is available as a budget CD. Williams' latest album Deer was released in 2024. Williams' music is OK. But he records a lot and too much of it sounds the same. I think even he knows that which is why he records bluegrass and tries other things. Maybe he gets bored with the jam band thing. Here's Keller Williams with the band Old Shoe performing West L.A. Fadeaway at the 2016 Shoe Fest in Manteno, IL. Old Shoe is a Chicago based jam band. Jeremy Garrett plays the violin solo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lauren Bacall

Artist:Lauren Bacall

Song:One of the Boys

Album:Woman of the Year: The Original Broadway Cast

Lauren Bacall was a top Hollywood star for two decades. And of course she was married to legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. When things slowed down in the 60s, she went to Broadway and won a Best Actress Tony for the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. She was born Betty Jean Perske Sept. 16, 1924 in The Bronx, NY. Her parents were European Jewish immigrants. After her parents divorced, her mother reverted to her maiden name Bacal and so did Lauren. After attending a private boarding school financed by wealthy uncles, she went to Julia Richman High School in Manhattan. After graduating, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, worked as an usher at the St. James Theater and modeled in department stores. She also dated classmate Kirk Douglas. Lauren made her Broadway debut in a bit part in the 1942 show Johnny 2x4. Then she was crowned Miss Greenwich Village. Then she appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and in fashion magazines like Vogue. At the time, director Howard Hawks was casting the 1944 film To Have and Have Not. His socialite wife Nancy "Slim" Keith saw Lauren on the Harper's Bazaar cover and urged Hawks to give her a screen test. That audition got her a seven year Warner Bros. contract. He changed her name to Lauren Bacall but everyone called her Betty. Hawks sent her to a voice coach so she would speak with a deeper tone. If you are familiar with To Have and Have Not, you'll know that it was very loosely based on an Ernest Hemingway novel. But the main feature of the film was Lauren's sex appeal and the on screen sparks between her and Bogart. Of course the sparks flew off screen as well and the two married once Bogart's divorce from Mayo Methot was final. They starred together in the films The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). They were even parodied in Bob Clampett's 1946 cartoon Bacall to Arms. Key Largo was Bogart's final film at Warners. Meanwhile, Lauren was suspended several times when she rejected scripts given to her by Warners. She got out of her contract and then accompanied Bogart when he filmed The African Queen in Africa. She signed with 20th Century Fox and the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire was a big hit. Things didn't go so well after that. She made a couple of good films like Written on the Wind (1956) and Designing Woman (1957). Plus Bogart died in 1957. Lauren thought her film career had stalled. So she returned to Broadway for the 1959 show Goodbye, Charlie. She won a tony for the 1965 comedy Cactus Flower and starred in the 1970 musical Applause. Her next big show was the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. This was based on the 1942 film Woman of the Year starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The book was written by Peter Stone and the music was by the veteran team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Lauren's co-star was veteran TV actor Harry Guardino. Lauren won a Tony for this show. The original cast album is available on CD. After that Lauren continued to appear in films and on TV but she mainly did supporting roles in those days. Her last big film was the 1996 film The Mirror Has Two Faces as Barbra Streisand's mother. Lauren Bacall suffered a stroke and died on Aug. 12, 2014 at age 89. Here's Lauren Bacall performing One of the Boys from the musical Woman of the Year on the 1981 Tony awards broadcast.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Diamonds

Artist:The Diamonds

Song:Little Darlin'

Album:Complete Singles As & Bs 1955-1962

The 1957 single Little Darlin' was the biggest hit for the vocal group The Diamonds. They had some other hits but Little Darlin' was the most memorable. Like another vocal group The Crew Cuts, The Diamonds were from Toronto. The lead singer of The Diamonds was Dave Somerville. He was born Oct. 2, 1933 in Guelph. But he went to high school at Central Tech in Toronto. After graduating, he got a job as a radio operator in the engineering department at the CBC. And he was studying voice at the Royal Conservatory of Music. At the CBC, Somerville met Ted Kowalski, Phil Leavitt and Bill Reed. They formed The Diamonds. An appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts got them a record deal with Decca's Coral label. Four singles were released with no success. They auditioned for Cleveland DJ Bill Randle who discovered another Canadian vocal group The Crew Cuts. And as he did with The Crew Cuts, Randle got The Diamonds a record deal with Mercury's Wing label. Their first single for Wing was a cover of Frankie Lymon's Why Do Fools Fall in Love?. It reached #12 on the singles charts. So now Mercury and musical director David Carroll knew they had something. Though The Crew Cuts had success, they were similar to vocal groups like The Four Lads. The Diamonds had more flair. After a few more singles, Mercury hit the jackpot when the 1957 single Little Darlin' reached #2 on the pop charts. It was another doo wop cover of a song by the Memphis based group The Gladiolas. The original was never a hit. And I know it's blasphemy to say this but The Diamonds' version is better than the original, especially Somerville's lead vocal and the spoken word part by Reed. So Producer Carroll imitated the original and also improved on it. The Diamonds' other big hit was the 1957 single The Stroll. By the late 50s, Somerville was the only original member remaining with three new guys. They left Mercury in 1962. All their singles are on this 2CD comp from the British reissue label Acrobat. After Somerville left The Diamonds in 1961, they became a fixture in Las Vegas. There were even two versions of The Diamonds which ended in a lawsuit. The original Diamonds reunited for the 2000 PBS show Doo Wop 51. A version of The Diamonds continues to tour today with no original members. Here's The Diamonds performing Little Darlin' on the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show Feb. 21, 1959.